MEDIA RELEASE

Police have charged a juvenile Hilo male with a variety of offenses after officers caught him Monday evening (April 26, 2004) in the act of burglarizing Waiakea High School.

Responding to a 10:07 p.m. alarm at the school, South Hilo patrol officers and the school’s safety manager noticed several louvers missing from windows on the second floor of a school building.

Investigating inside, the officers observed someone crouching inside a classroom. The suspect then dashed out of the room through an opposite door and ran down the stairs and out of the building. Pursuing officers caught him near Lokahi Park, where he was found carrying a crowbar, a flashlight and a large garbage bag. He was also wearing latex gloves.

The youth was taken to the Hilo police station for processing. After conferring with prosecutors, East Hawaii Juvenile Aid Section detectives charged him with second-degree burglary, illegal possession of burglary tools, fourth-degree criminal property damage and fourth-degree theft. He was later flown to Oahu for incarceration in a youth correctional facility.

Hilo police officers have responded to several break-ins at Waiakea High School in recent months. They are asking anyone with information about the break-ins to call Detective Randal Ishii of the East Hawaii JAS at 961-2278 or the police non-emergency number at 935-3311.

Those who wish to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona. The numbers are answered 24 hours a day. Callers will be given a coded number and their identity will remain anonymous. Callers may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000 if their call leads to an arrest, indictment or the recovery of property. Crime Stoppers neither subscribes to “Caller ID,” nor does it record phone calls.